Security enclosure

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a security enclosure having a cylindrical wall with a base member permanently attached to close one end of the cylinder. A removable second closure member with two tabs is fitted within the other end of the cylinder with one tab extending through the opening of the wall of the cylinder and the other tab aligned with a matching lug formed by the wall of the cylinder. The tab and lug are secured together by means of a lock, padlock or other secure means.

United States Patent lnventor Leroy l-l. Shapiro Baltimore, Md. App].No. 857,327 Filed Sept. 12,1969 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 Assignee CambridgeIron and Metal Co., Inc.

Baltimore, Md.

SECURITY ENCLOSURE 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 109/50, 109/59, 232/4 Int. C E05g 1/00 Field of Search 109/64,59, 50; 220/3.8, 55 MC, 55 P, 38; 232/4 R References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 11/1926 Kusel 232/4 R 1,781,920 11/1930 Fisher 232/4 R 854,0455/1907 Paugh 220/3.8 2,656,948 10/1953 McGee... 220/38 2,677,338 5/1954Sasetti 109/59 2,935,955 5/1960 Mann 109/50 3,183,863 5/1965 .leffres t109/59 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Alt0meyBurton A. AmernickABSTRACT: The specification discloses a security enclosure having acylindrical wall with a base member permanently attached to close oneend of the cylinder. A removable second closure member with two tabs isfitted within the other end of the cylinder with one tab extendingthrough the opening of the wall of the cylinder and the other tabaligned with a matching lug formed by the wall of the cylinder. The taband lug are secured together by means of a lock, padlock or other securemeansQ PATENTEU 0m 5 FIG.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Leroy H. Shapiro ATTORNEY SECURITY ENCLOSURE SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention discloses a new and useful improvementin the design of strong boxes and securityenclosures. It provides asimple, inexpensive and easy to manufacture container having a minimumof parts and providing a maximum degree of protection.

Such strong boxes or security enclosures in the past have often requiredexpensive machine operations in order to conceal their hinges and theseam around the opening to prevent the entry of pry bars and otherdestructive items. The present invention discloses a simple andinexpensive strong box that may be formulated from tube steel and sheetsteel in a manner of minutes without any expensive hinges or otherfittings and providing a relatively concealed hinge, clasp, and closureseam.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation viewof my new and improved security enclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top or plan security enclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of my security enclosure.

FIG. 4 is a isometric view of an alternate form of the securityenclosure with locking means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

As previously stated, the security enclosiire is especially designed toprovide an inexpensive, simple and secure strong box. In the preferredform of the invention, a cylindrical member 11 is pennanently closed onone end by closure member 12. This closure may be efi'ected by welding,riveting or by forming the container 11 in a mold and forming anintegral one piece bottom closure member along with the sidewall 1 1. Inthe preferred form of the invention a steel plate 12 is welded to asteel tube 11 along the welds 13 to provide a permanent and virtuallyindestructible joint.

The other end of the cylindrical closure 11 is closed by closure member14.

Referring to FIG. 3 closure member 14 is a circular disk of steel, ironor other relatively impenetrable material and in the preferred form ofmy invention is formed with the first and second tab member 15 and 15a.Tab member 15 extends through an opening 16 that is defined in the wallof the container 11. This opening is better illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2, said opening being defined as an elongate slot to receive closure tab15. On the opposed wall of the container 11, lug I7 is axially alignedwith the second tab means formed on closure 14. Tab member 17 may bewelded or bolted onto the wall of container 1 l, or otherwise securedthereon.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, lug member 17 is formed by two vertical cuts18 and 19 that are made in the wall of cylinder 11. The material lyingbetween the cuts 18 and 19 is then bent outwardly to a horizontalposition to form an integral one piece tab having the same strength asthe wall of the container. Tab I7 may be bent inwardly or outwardlydepending upon the type of locking means employed. In the preferredembodiment, a pad lock or combination lock 20 is fastened throughopenings 21 and 22 by tab 15a and lug 17.

If a unitary locking means were used, tab I7 could be bent inwardly, andthe locking means mounted internally as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thelocking means 23 would then be mounted on the closure 14 immediatelyinbome of container wall I1. Closure member 14 may be formed with anopening with an elongate slot opening'24 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3or without the elongate slot opening as noted in FIG. 4. Opening 24 isfor the reception of dollar bills, change, or other valuable items suchas inventory lists, store receipts, cash register tapes or other itemswhich are normally secured for safe keeping.

view of an alternate form of my It should be noted as illustrated inFIG. 3 that the seam 25 between the closure 14 and container 11 isrecessed below the top of the container to provide a relativelyinaccessible opening for pry bars or other instruments of destruction.This seam may'be further recessed without affecting the operation of thesecurity enclosure by lowering slot 16 and tab I7 and leaving a largerlip than is illustrated in the preferred embodiment. If an outside capwere utilized or if the cap were even with the top of the container 11,it would be relatively simple and easy to insert a pry bar and removethe enclosure member 14 by force. When the closure member 14 is recessedas illustrated in FIG. 3, the pry bar must be forced in to deform thewall of the container 11 before closure member 14 can be pryed out. Thisgives the seam 25 an effective strength equal to the walls of thecontainer 11. The same is true at the slot opening 16. As illustrated at26, the strength of the hinge is regulated by the thickness of the tab15 as illustrated at 26, and a thickness of wall 11 as illustrated at27. This gives the hinge member the full strength equivalent of wall 11,and the closure member 14. Likewise, when tab 17 is formed integrallyfrom wall 11, it and tab 16 which is formed integrally from disk 14,acquire the strength of the main wall members.

It should be noted that there are no such latch or hasp joints, seams orother weak areas that may be attacked, the tab and lug being formedintegrally from the container and enclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the container may be equipped with a square member29 as illustrated in FIG. 4 to provide a secure and stable base for thesecurity closure. In the event the enclosure is knocked over, basemember 29 will prevent the container from rolling or otherwise movingabout. This, base member 29 provides a stable base for the container inits horizontal or vertical position. If desired, openings 30 may beformed in the base member 29 to secure the security enclosure to a wall,floor, or other stable building structure.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the container 11 has beendisclosed and described as a cylindrical member, as cylindrical membersgenerally present more wall strength per volume than square members.Also, it is generally inexpensive and easy operation to fabricate thepreferred embodiment of the invention from sheet steel and tube steel.If desired, however, container 1 1 could be formulated from sheet steelwherein the container 11 itself would be rectangle, square or otherpolygon and closure disk 14 would then assmile a correspondingrectangular, square of polygonal shape.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention is described as beingtube or sheet steel, it is obvious to one skilled in the art that thesame could be formed of any type of iron, including a cast iron whereinthe lower closure I2 could be integrally cast with container 11. Also,it would be possible to form container II from a high impact plasticsuch as polystyrene of fiberglass reinforced resins to form a relativelysecure enclosure of a lightweight and portable nature. With thosematerials, it would also be possible to formulate closure 12 or 29 as anintegral part of container 11 to simplify the assembly and constructionof my invention.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the deviceis amenable to considerable modification without departing from theessential features, or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

I claim:

l. A security enclosure comprising an openmouthed container having atleast one enclosing wall and a base member, said enclosing wall definingan opening therein adjacent to the open mouth if said container, anddefining an integral l'ug means formed from said wall adjacent to saidopen mouth, said lug extending outwardly from said exterior wall at aangle, said wall defining an opening above said lug extending from saidlug to the open mouth of said container, a removable closure with firstand second tab means for completely closing said open mouth, saidclosure normally mounted within said closing wall and below the openmouth of said container, said second tab means being axially alignedwith said lug means mounted on said container wall when said first tabmeans extends through the opening defined in said enclosing wall, saidlug means mounted on said wall opposed to the opening defined in saidenclosing wall, each being on the outer extremities of said wall, saidfirst and second tab means mounted on said removable closure opposed toeach other on the outer perimeter of said removable closure, said tabmeans $9,133 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPatent No. 3,610,177 Dated g g hg 5 122] Inventor(s) Leroy H. Shapiro Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, 12th line from the bottom, after "22" insert defined thepenultimate line, delete "or" and insert therefor and Column 2, line 19,delete "closure" and insert therefor enclosure line 23, delete "such";line 24, after "joints," insert screws, line 31, delete "This, andinsert therefor Thus, line 39, after "is" insert a line 43, after "be"insert a line 45, delete "of" and insert therefor or 8th line from thebottom, delete "if and insert therefor of last line, delete "closing"and insert therefor enclosing Column 4, line 4, delete "cylin-"; line 5,delete "drical".

Signed and sealed this 18th day of April 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Pa tents

1. A security enclosure comprising an openmouthed container having atleast one enclosing wall and a base member, said enclosing wall definingan opening therein adjacent to the open mouth if said container, anddefining an integral lug means formed from said wall adjacent to saidopen mouth, said lug extending outwardly from said exterior wall at a90* angle, said wall defining an opening above said lug extending fromsaid lug to the open mouth of said container, a removable closure withfirst and second tab means for completely closing said open mouth, saidclosure normally mounted within said closing wall and below the openmouth of said container, said second tab means being axially alignedwith said lug means mounted on said container wall when said first tabmeans extends through the opening defined in said enclosing wall, saidlug means mounted on said wall opposed to the opening defined in saidenclosing wall, each being on the outer extremities of said wall, saidfirst and second tab means mounted on said removable closure opposed toeach other on the outer perimeter of said removable closure, said tabmeans and said lug means adapted to receive a locking means to securethe closure member to said container, said base member being formed of apolygonal sheet member and completely and permanently enclosing one endof said cylindrical container, said base extending outwardly beyond saidenclosing wall to provide a stable base when said container is orientedin either a vertical or horizontal position.